The Arts and the Practice of Creativity
At Buxton, the arts aren’t confined to a schedule. They unfold across the day and through the seasons, from afternoon rehearsals and evening dance classes to impromptu drawing circles and late-night jam sessions. Classes are small and personal, guided by faculty who are working artists themselves. Lessons often feel like collaborations, and students are supported in moving at their own pace while exploring new techniques and ideas.
Students are encouraged to explore a wide range of artistic mediums during their time here, from figure drawing, studio art, and ceramics to photography, theater tech, dance, and music. There’s space for everyone to create, experiment, and grow.
We believe that art is a shared language at Buxton. Every student is both a creator and a collaborator, learning to see the world with imagination and care, whether you’re a seasoned artist or just beginning to explore.
A Glimpse Into Our Art Electives:
For students who want to learn both the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel and / or how to hand-build clay works. Classes include slide shows, reading assignments and trips to local galleries and museums to broaden understanding of the past and present states of ceramics as art.
Students who are interested in playing chamber music may participate in one of a number of group ensembles. They vary in size and instrumentation and are individually coached by the music faculty. Duos to seven-piece jazz ensembles form each semester to rehearse and perform student composers’ work as well as standard repertoire. Rudimentary sight-reading ability is necessary. Performances are given several times each year.
Chamber orchestra is open to all students who have an interest in playing music in a larger group. A wide variety of instruments can be accommodated in the chamber orchestra. Repertory works are performed during the Fall and Spring Arts Weekends, and in the winter the orchestra provides music for the touring All-School Play. Recent performances have included Bach’s Orchestra Suites in C and D, Handel’s Water Music, Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and Schubert’s Rosamunde Overture; waltzes and rags by Scott Joplin; and arrangements of pieces by George Gershwin and Duke Ellington.
Choral activities and vocal ensembles are open to all regardless of prior experience. Twice a year, major choral works are undertaken. An additional piece involving all students and faculty is performed at Graduation. Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Missa Brevis K.220 and Requiem K.626, Schubert’s Mass No. 3, Gounod’s Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cécile, and Carl Orff’’s Carmina Burana have been performed in recent years.
